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EXCLUSIVE: Jane Badler Speaks on Return to V

It's been 25 years since Jane Badler portrayed the character of Visitor Diana on the original V mini series, but the actress tells TV Fanatic she couldn't wait to reprise this role.

In fact, when ABC first announced it would revive V as a series, Badler says: "I had a really strong reaction. I felt like I should really be back on the show."

So she contacted the producer at the time, was told the drama wanted to get through a full season before bringing back any old characters, and then was cast again in the role she originated in 1984 for season two.

Badler's Diana - the mother of Visitor leader Anna - will appear on all 13 episodes in 2011. Below, she tells us more about what's in store and how she interacted with the cast.

How do we meet Diana on the season premiere?It's revealed at the end of the episode that she's been kept in a dungeon by her daughter, who told all other Visitors that Diana was dead.

Why?Diana and Anna have very different viewpoints on how to rule. Anna sees human emotion as a negative, as the downfall of that species. She kills any Visitor that expresses it. But Diana thinks emotion can be a powerful weapon and sees ways in which it can be useful.

Can you compare the original to the remake?In both, there's a strong delineation between the freedom fighters and the lizards. They interact, but they also tell parallel stories between these sides and that's similar to the original. So are the political undertones and the concept of a strong woman battling against a strong woman.

What was it like working with this cast?It takes Diana awhile to leave that dungeon, so I didn't interact with everyone. But it's a great cast, I'm not just saying that. I worked beautifully with Morena Baccarin because she's very intense as an actress and so am I.

What else are you working on?I have a new CD and music video coming out. For the next six months, I'll be putting my energy into that album launch. You can read a lot more about it on my website.